1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to migration of databases and, more particularly, to optimizing migration of a database from a source system to a target system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Databases are computerized information storage and retrieval systems that are generally implemented as software products on associated computer systems. For various reasons, it may be desirable to migrate databases from source computer systems to target computer systems. In this context, the term “migrating” designates the process of moving the database from a source system to a target system. For instance, a given database may be migrated from a first system to a second system so that a broader range of users may simultaneously access the data in the database.
Various database products provide migration aides which are configured to generate a script on a given source system that can then be processed on a corresponding target system. By way of example, the eServer iSeries computer system available from International Business Machines of Armonk, N.Y., provides such a script using a SAVLIB command on the source system. Then, using a RSTLIB command, the script can be executed on the corresponding target system, whereby the database is restored on the target system.
However, when migrating a database from a source system to a target system, the target system often has characteristics that differ from the characteristics of the source system. These differences may affect execution of the database on the target system. For instance, the target system may have a different central processing unit, different disk drives and a different input/output configuration. Accordingly, a database that is optimized for running on the source system may not be optimized for running on the target system. To optimize the migrated database an administrator must then go through the tedious process of tuning the database on the target system.
Therefore, there is a need for an efficient technique for migrating a database from a source system to a target system.